COLCHESTER United have appointed Alex Dyer as their new assistant manager.

The well-respected former Kilmarnock boss will work as Hayden Mullins' number two, at the JobServe Community Stadium.

The 55-year-old has vast coaching experience, at a number of different clubs.

Dyer was a coach at West Ham United while Mullins was at the London club as a player, with the pair working together for nearly five years at Upton Park.

He worked as the Hammers' reserve-team boss, before leaving to link up with Chris Powell at Charlton Athletic, in 2011.

Together, they guided the Addicks to the Championship before helping them secure ninth spot, the following season.

Dyer then linked up again with Powell for a year at Huddersfield Town.

He worked as assistant manager to Steve Clarke, who led Kilmarnock to successive record Scottish Premiership points hauls in 2018 and 2019.

And following Clarke's departure, he continued to work with him as part of the Scotland set-up.

Dyer spent more than a year in charge of Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock between December 2019 and January 2021, having been made permanent boss there following a caretaker spell at the helm following Clarke's exit.

Prior to managing Kilmarnock, he had a brief caretaker spell in charge of non-league outfit Welling United, in 2017.

He has coached under the likes of Avram Grant, Sam Allardyce, Eddie Gray and Steve Coppell.

Dyer played for a variety of different clubs as a player, including Blackpool, Charlton Athletic, Notts County and Barnet.

He clocked up more than 450 appearances during his playing career, which spanned nearly two decades, mainly as a defender but also as a midfielder.

His role will be an important one for the U's next season working alongside Mullins, who is embarking on his first season as a permanent EFL boss.